Screaming Infidelities: The Beginning
by SetRobOff
Summary: A story about the highs/lows of Jay and Manny's relationship, engagement & marriage. Also Emma's dating Kelly but she's still in love with Sean. How many issues will get in her way before she ends up with the guy she TRULY loves? JANNY/SEMMA REVIEW PlEASE
1. 2 Become 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi or any of its characters.**

**Very Important Author's Note: This story takes place BEFORE my other two stories "Screaming Infidelities" and "Screaming Infidelities: Part Two". I have completed "Screaming Infidelities" quite a while ago, but I'm still writing "Screaming Infidelities: Part Two". Feel free to check them out if you're a new reader/reviewer of my stories. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoy this one. If you're impressed with my work, give me some reviews. Thank you! By the way, let's pretend Jay and Manny NEVER broke up in season 7. This is what Semma(Sean and Emma) and Janny(Jay and Manny) were like before the events that took place in "Screaming Infidelities" and "Screaming Infidelities: Part Two".**

{I need some love like I never needed love before. I had a little love, now I'm back for more. Set your spirit free; it's the only way to be.}(Emma's thoughts to Sean)

*The title of this chapter is named after a song by The Spice Girls*

It was May of 2008 and the spring semester at Smithdale University just ended. Emma Nelson, Manny Santos and Liberty Van Zandt were all very happy to begin a rather _early _summer. They planned to return to school in the fall. So, the three girls waited outside of the school for their ride.

"College is awesome and I can't wait to go back in the fall, but I'm definitely ready to return to Toronto for the summer," Emma stated.

"Me too," Liberty agreed."I miss my parents and my brother."

"Danny's graduating from Degrassi next month, right?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," Liberty nodded."I'm glad I'll be able to make it on time."

"What the hell is taking Jay so long?" Manny groaned, frustrated."Its 4:42PM; he said he'd be here no later than four."

"Have you tried calling him?" Emma asked.

"Yeah and it keeps going directly to his voicemail," Manny replied.

"If he doesn't come, I can call my parents to come pick us up," Emma told her.

"I know but I'm going to be really pissed if Jay doesn't come," Manny said."I love him but sometimes he really makes me angry when he either shows up late for something or simply bails out altogether. What the hell is he going to do when we get married? Show up late to the altar?"

Manny and Jay have been engaged for one year. They got together during Manny's senior year at Degrassi.

"Wow, there he is," Liberty pointed out.

Manny and Emma looked in the direction Liberty was pointing at. They saw Jay walking towards them wearing sunglasses and a light jacket.

"Hey baby," Jay greeted her.

"Hey," Manny muttered, grumpily.

Jay leaned towards her to give her a kiss but she stepped back and glared at him.

"You're late," Manny snarled.

"Babe, I'm sorry," Jay apologized.

"You're always sorry," Manny snapped.

"How are you, Jay?" Emma asked.

"I'm good," Jay replied."How about you?"

He gave Emma a hug and then he greeted Liberty with a hug too. Manny just stood there with her arms folded, cold as ice.

"Baby, are you going to stand there and be mad all night?" Jay asked.

Manny just sighed and put her arms down. Jay approached her slowly and kissed her gently on the lips.

"I'm sorry, baby," Jay apologized."I love you."

"I love you too, you idiot," Manny responded, playfully.

Jay and Manny hugged and kissed each other like there was no tomorrow.

"Get a room," Emma muttered.

Bags in their hands, Manny, Emma and Liberty followed Jay to his car. They put their belongings in the trunk. After that, Manny hopped in the passenger's seat beside Jay. Emma and Liberty got in the backseat. The drive to Toronto took quite some time but the four of them talked, laughed and joked together to make the time pass quicker. Finally, Jay pulled up and parked his car in front of Emma's house.

"Baby, I have a surprise for you," Jay said.

"What is it?" Manny asked.

Jay handed her a gift bag. Manny looked inside and saw a beautiful chain with the letters J&M on it.

"Oh baby, I love it," Manny gasped, happily.

Manny put the chain around her neck and gave Jay a kiss.

"I have a surprise for Emma and Liberty too," Jay stated.

"For us?" Emma and Liberty responded in unison.

"Yeah but you'll find out what it is tonight at ten o clock," Jay told them.

"Wow Manny, your fiance is in a very giving mood today," Liberty commented.

"That is so unlike Jay," Emma added.

"My fiance is a changed man," Manny insisted.

"That's right, baby," Jay nodded."It was you who changed me."

They kissed yet again.

Emma thanked Jay for the ride, collected her luggage and headed into her house to greet her parents and her four year old brother, Jack. After that, Jay dropped Liberty off at her house. Next, Manny and Jay went to Jay's apartment to talk and of course, make love. They told Emma and Liberty to meet them at the Dot by 10:00PM.

Later on that night, Liberty borrowed her brother Danny's car and picked Emma up from her house at 9:40PM. They drove to the Dot and parked the car nearby. They headed across the street eager to see what Jay's surprise was. As they got closer to the Dot, they saw Jay and Manny standing there waiting for them. However, what they saw next made Emma and Liberty's hearts pound with surprise. Standing with Jay and Manny were Toby Isaacs and Sean Cameron.

"Oh my God!" Emma and Liberty shrieked, happily.

Sean and Toby glanced in their direction as Emma and Liberty ran towards them. Liberty threw herself into Toby's arms, hugging tightly and kissing him all over his face. Emma hugged Sean firmly as he caressed her soft, blond hair.

"Sean, I missed you so much," Emma said, with tears of joy in her eyes.

"I miss you too," Sean responded, softly.

When they released each other, they stared into each other's eyes. It felt like magic. Emma and Liberty took a step back and admired Sean and Toby. Toby had gotten so handsome. Even though he still wore glasses, he no longer appeared geeky. He was attending New York University. Sean, on the other hand, has always been handsome. He was standing there looking sexier than ever. The hard training in the army had sculpted his body into a true masterpiece. He just came back to Toronto after a whole year in Afghanistan.

"Jay, this is an incredible surprise," Liberty told him, happily.

"Yeah, thank you so much," Emma said.

"You're welcome," Jay responded.

"Aw, I _so _have to take a picture of this," Manny said, cheerily.

Manny removed her digital camera as Sean, Emma, Toby, and Liberty posed together. After they took the picture, Emma hugged Toby and Sean hugged Liberty. The six of them all headed inside the Dot and took a seat at a table. A few minutes later, Holly J Sinclair approached the table.

"Wow, it's you guys," Holly J said, unimpressed.

"I didn't know you worked here, Holly J," Toby scoffed.

"Long story and I'm _not _explaining it to you," Holly J snapped.

"We didn't come here to see you anyway," Jay told her, sharply."We came here to eat."

Holly J rolled her eyes and took their order. After that, she collected the menus and walked away from the table.

"Bitch," Manny hissed, quietly."Some things never change."

"Too bad Spinner isn't here," Sean said."It'd be nice to see him."

"I guess he has the night off," Jay shrugged.

"So Jay, how did you make this awesome surprise possible?" Emma asked.

"Well, Sean called me a week ago and told me he was coming back to Canada," Jay explained."So, I told him he can stay with me. A couple days later, Toby brings his bubby's car to my job to get fixed and we had a good talk. Later on that night, I invited Sean and Toby over for some pizza and I told them that I was going to pick you guys up from Smithdale. So, we made plans to surprise you tonight."

"Isn't Jay amazing?" Manny said.

"Totally," Liberty agreed.

"That was really thoughtful of him," Emma said.

They all talked, laughed and caught up on old times. They also talked about what's going on their currents lives. The six of them actually felt like a big happy family that night. Also, the dinner was excellent and even Holly J started acting nice for the rest of the time they were there. It was a very nice moment for all of them. After they finished their meal, they all paid the bill and left Holly J a tip. They all headed outside.

"Liberty, I'll pick you up tomorrow night and we'll go see a movie," Toby told her.

"No, I'll pick _you _up," Liberty insisted."We can't always depend on your bubby's car. I almost gave birth in it two years ago."

"Oh yeah, I can never forget that," Toby said, with a laugh.

Liberty smiled at Toby with her beautiful thick lips and pearl white teeth. Toby's heart melted. It was that particular moment that truly made him fall in love with the girl that dated his dead best friend, JT Yorke.

"Goodnight Liberty," Toby said.

"Goodnight," Liberty said.

They leaned their faces close together and started kissing passionately. Emma, Manny, Sean and Jay all clapped and cheered. Toby and Liberty blushed a little bit. After saying goodbye, they walked to their cars.

Emma, Manny and Sean decided to go over Jay's place that night. The four of them were relaxing on the couch watching an HBO movie. While Sean and Emma were actually paying attention to the movie, Jay and Manny kept making out every two minutes.

"Come on, guys," Sean said."That is distracting. Can you go in the bedroom if you need privacy?"

"Okay," Manny and Jay instantly agreed.

Without a second thought, Manny and Jay held hands, left the living room and went to the bedroom. Sean and Emma laughed.

"They can't get enough of each other," Sean commented.

"Well, they're in love and they're engaged," Emma said.

"I never thought I'd see the day Jay gets engaged," Sean said.

"People change, Sean," Emma shrugged.

"This is the first time tonight where you and I had the chance to be alone," Sean stated.

"Yeah, I guess so," Emma nodded.

Sean put his arm around Emma and kissed her cheek. His soft touch sent euphoric sensations throughout her body, but she had to resist. So, she moved about inch away from him.

"What's the matter?" Sean asked.

"I didn't get the chance to tell you," Emma sighed.

"Tell me what?" Sean asked.

"I'm dating someone," Emma told him.

"Oh," Sean responded with slight disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Sean," Emma said.

"It's okay," Sean sighed."He's a lucky guy."

"I'm quite lucky as well," Emma stated."He's a great guy. He goes to my college."

"What's his name?" Sean asked.

"Kelly," Emma responded.

"What kind of name is Kelly for a guy?" Sean frowned.

"Come on Sean; don't do that," Emma scolded.

"I mean no disrespect but it's just weird," Sean insisted.

"Well, he's my boyfriend and we really care about each other," Emma told him.

"Is he coming to Toronto this summer?" Sean asked.

"No, he's staying with his family in New Brunswick for the summer," Emma replied.

"So, can you just enjoy this summer with me?" Sean asked."We should spend some quality time together before I go to Iraq in September."

"What?" Emma gasped.

"Yeah," Sean nodded.

"You just came back from a war in Afghanistan, now they're sending you to Iraq?!" Emma exclaimed.

"I'm in the military, Emma," Sean sighed."That's what they expect."

"How long do you have to go?" Emma asked.

"A year," Sean replied.

Emma looked sad all of a sudden.

"Don't worry, Emma," Sean told her."I'll be okay. You know I'm a fighter."

"You're not invincible, Sean," Emma said, softly.

"I know but I'm going to make it," Sean assured her.

"I really won't be able to take it if….if something happened to you," Emma told him, sadly.

Seeing her pain, Sean put his arm around and pulled her closely. This time, she didn't resist. She rested her head on his chest as he wrapped both of his strong arms around her.

"Haven't I always made it back to you, Emma?" Sean stated."After the many fights and breakups we had, don't I always come back?"

"Yeah but this is different," Emma replied."You're going to Iraq; it's dangerous over there."

"I can get through it," Sean stated, confidently."I got hurt in Afghanistan too, but I still made it."

Sean lifted up his wifebeater and revealed a small, light scar on his side. Emma looked at it for a few seconds and then reached out to touch it. She gently rubbed it with the tip of her index finger.

"Does that hurt?" Emma asked.

"No," Sean replied.

Emma pulled his shirt back down and put her head back down on his chest.

"I care about you so much, Sean," Emma told him.

"I care about you, too," Sean said.

With the exception of the TV, there was a sad silence for a few seconds. A little humor was briefly added to that gloomy moment they heard the sound of Jay and Manny wildly having sex in the bedroom. Emma and Sean laughed for a moment and then the mood turned gloomy again.

"Just relax, Emma," Sean whispered.

Emma nodded and said okay. Sean placed a tender kiss on her head, inhaling her heavenly vanilla scent. They quietly watched the rest of the movie together. By the time the movie ended, Emma had drifted off to sleep in Sean's arms.

_She gets more and more beautiful every time I look at her, _Sean thought.

He quietly stood up and picked her sleeping body up into his arms. He carried her out of the living room and headed into the other bedroom. The room was dark, but he was still able to find his way. Sean carried Emma to the bed and gently put her down on her back. After that, he removed her sneakers and socks. Sean kissed Emma on the forehead.

"Goodnight," he whispered.

Sean headed towards the door just as Emma woke up.

"Sean?" she said.

Sean turned around and flicked the light switch on.

"Where are you going?" Emma asked.

"I'm going to sleep on the couch," Sean told her.

"No, I want you to sleep in here with me," Emma said.

"But you just said you have a boyfriend," Sean said.

"I know," Emma sighed."But I'm going to see Kelly when I go back to school anyway. You, on the other hand, are going to the other side of the planet at the end of the summer. I don't know if I'll ever see you again."

"Emma, I'm not going to die," Sean told her.

"That's not my only concern," Emma insisted."What if you find someone else or move far away when you leave Iraq?"

"It doesn't matter," Sean said."You have a boyfriend."

"But I can never find another you," Emma said, with tears in her eyes.

"Emma, don't cry," Sean told her, softly.

Sean turned the light back off and shut the door. He walked towards the bed and lied down next to her.

"I don't want us to start the summer off this way," Sean stated."I just want us to enjoy it….together. When the time comes for us to part ways, we'll deal with it then. In the meantime, just let me make you happy."

Emma nodded as Sean wiped the tears off her face.

"I love you, Emma," Sean told her.

"I love you, too," Emma responded.

Sean kissed her delicately on the lips. Emma returned his kisses with passion and love. Sean positioned himself on top of Emma and started kissing her all of her neck. Her skin was like silk against his lips and her vanilla scent was simply mesmerizing. Emma reached up and slowly pulled his shirt off. She ran her hand smoothly across his bare chest.

In between kisses, Sean and Emma undressed each other until they were fully nude. Sean made love to her with the gentleness of a lamb. Through it all, they never stopped kissing. Emma was in ecstasy.

Sure, she loved Kelly, but no one compared to Sean. The way he made her feel when he made love to her, kissed her, held her, touched her or simply _looked _at her was more beautiful than words could ever express. They made love for a long time and Emma climaxed ten times in the process. Her final climax occurred at the same time as Sean's. They made love as if they were saying goodbye already even though their summer together just barely begun.


	2. Torn Between Two Lovers

{There's been another man that I've needed and I've loved. But that doesn't mean I love you less. And he knows you can't possess me and he knows he never will. There's just this empty place inside of me that only he can fill.} (Emma's thoughts about Sean and Kelly)

*The title of this chapter is named after a song by Mary McGregor*

Shortly after the sun rose up in the morning, Emma's eyes opened. She gave a small yawn and stretched. When she looked over to her right, Sean was still laying there fast asleep. Emma smiled as she thought about last night. It almost seemed too incredible to be true. She and Sean Cameron—her first true love—came back for the summer and they reunited by making love last night. Emma's entire body tingled with passion. Sean made her feel so wonderful inside and out.

Emma got out of the bed. Since she was naked, she felt a little chilly. So, she opened one of her bags and removed a cozy, blue robe. She put the robe on and secured it firmly around her body. After that, she quietly left the bedroom, trying not to wake Sean. She entered the bathroom, used the toilet, washed her face, hands and brushed her teeth. When she was done, she headed into the kitchen.

Manny was removing several food items from the refrigerator. She was wearing a pink robe with pink slippers. She was startled when she saw Emma come into the kitchen.

"Oh, I didn't mean to scare you," Emma said, apologetically.

"No problem," Manny insisted.

"Are you about to make breakfast?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," Manny replied."Jay has to work today, so I want him to have something scrumptious to begin his day with."

"Okay," Emma nodded.

"He's trying to get Sean a job at the garage today for the summer before he goes to Iraq," Manny told her.

Manny stopped herself right there. Emma's face looked a little glum at the mention of "Iraq".

"Oh, I'm sorry, Emma," Manny said, regretfully."Is it difficult for you?"

"No, it's fine," Emma sighed.

"Okay."

"So, shouldn't the guys be getting up now?" Emma asked.

"No, they don't have to be there until 10:00AM," Manny replied."It's only seven. We'll wake them up when I'm done cooking."

"I'll help you," Emma offered.

"Thanks," Manny said.

Manny gathered the few ingredients she needed to make French toast while Emma started preparing an omelet.

"Isn't this great, Em?" Manny asked.

"What?" Emma asked.

"We're cooking for our men," Manny replied."It's so romantic."

"Sean is not my man," Emma responded, defensively."You know that. I'm with Kelly."

"That's not what you were saying last night," Manny teased.

"Pardon me?" Emma said.

"Jay and I heard you and Sean getting your freak on last night," Manny told her.

"Well, it must have been after you and Jay were getting your freak on," Emma said, teasingly."I wasn't nearly as loud as you were. You're like a wildcat."

Manny laughed hysterically.

"Okay, Sean and I had sex last night," Emma said."But what's the big deal?"

"You say it like it didn't mean anything," Manny said.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"Sean was your first love," Manny stated."You've been crazy about him since grade seven. Are you honestly telling me that when you guys made love last night, no old feelings came back?"

Emma sighed and remained quiet for a few seconds.

"Yes; my old feelings for him _did _come back," Emma finally admitted."I still love him but….I love Kelly too."

"Don't stress it, Emma," Manny advised her."Kelly will be there when we go back to Smithdale. But let this summer be all about you and Sean. Make the best of it."

"Sean said the same thing…..more or less," Emma said.

"Well, he's right," Manny said.

They continued to cook and chat with each other. At last, breakfast was done. They made French toast, sausage, eggs and bacon. Of course, Emma was not going to defy her vegetarianism by eating the sausage and bacon.

"Okay, let's get the boys up," Manny said.

As Manny headed into Jay's room to wake him up, Emma stepped into the other bedroom and shut the door behind her. Sean was now lying on his side holding a pillow tightly against his chest. Emma smiled and then approached the bed. She leaned over and kissed the side of Sean's neck. After that, she gently shook him awake.

The first thing Sean saw when he opened his eyes was Emma's beautiful, smiling face. He sat up and they kissed softly.

"Good morning," Emma said.

"Good morning," Sean responded.

"Manny and I made breakfast," Emma told him."Get dressed and wash your hands."

"I'm supposed to be working with Jay today at the garage," Sean said.

"I know," Emma said."Manny told me."

Sean stretched his arms and stood up out of the bed. Emma gasped in lust as she eyed Sean up and down. He was still completely naked and the sunlight seemed to give him a certain glow. It's been a long time since she's seen Sean naked. Even though they made love last night, it was dark in the room, so Emma didn't see much of anything. All she did was feel it and it felt amazing.

"What are you staring at?" Sean asked, with a grin.

"What do you think?" Emma responded, slyly.

She stepped up close to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. They kissed each other passionately. Sean tried to open Emma's robe but she stepped back.

"The food is going to get cold," she said."We don't have time to do that right now."

"Oh come on," Sean groaned."Why'd you have to get me all excited like that?"

"I'm sorry," Emma told him."I'll make it up to you later. I promise."

"Okay," Sean smiled.

They kissed again. Sean got dressed and waited for Jay to finish in the bathroom. When he was done, he went in there to get ready for the day. Moments later, Emma, Sean, Manny and Jay were sitting in the living room eating breakfast. As expected, Sean and Jay were enjoying it which made Emma and Manny happy.

When they were finished eating, Emma and Manny got dressed and grabbed their bags. The four of them headed outside to Jay's car. Jay dropped Manny and Emma off at their houses and then he and Sean drove to work. They all agreed to hang out again later.

Emma entered her house and greeted the dog with a pat on the head. Her parents, Christine and Archie, were at work and her little brother Jack was at preschool. So, she had the house to herself for the time being. All she could think about was Sean and the undying love she felt for him. It was almost impossible to get him off of her mind…..that is until Kelly called.

"Hello?" Emma answered her cell.

"Hey babe," Kelly said.

"Hey," Emma responded, happily.

"Are you happy to be back with your family?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah," Emma replied."How about you?"

"Yeah but I miss you already," Kelly told her.

"Well, we have a long summer ahead of us before we go back to school," Emma stated."If I start missing you now, I'm going to drive myself crazy."

"Good point," Kelly agreed.

She and Kelly chatted for over an hour. As usual, they had a great conversation with plenty of laughs. At that moment, Emma forgot about Sean the same way she forgot about Kelly last night. Finally, they were ready to end the conversation.

"I love you," Kelly told her.

"I love you too," Emma responded.

After saying goodbye, they hung up. Emma laid back on the couch and sighed. It was clear. She was in love with two guys and honestly, she didn't know which one she loved more. At least for now. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to spend time with Sean for the summer. After all, Kelly is away in New Brunswick and he will be right there waiting for her when they return to school.


	3. Getting In The Way

{I know you don't understand but you're going to have to understand, he's my man now. What you had its gone; I think it's sweet. It's stronger than any lie that you can tell on me} (Manny's thoughts for Amy about Jay)

*The title of this chapter is named after a song by Jill Scott*

Two weeks passed by and Emma, Sean, Manny and Jay continued to spend time together and have fun. One Saturday afternoon, Manny, Emma and Jay were at Jay's apartment. Jay had the day off but Sean was visiting his parents in Wasaga Beach. So, the three of them were planning to go to the Dot for lunch.

"I'm starving," Emma said."I totally skipped breakfast."

"Yeah, because you were worn out from getting your booty tapped all night," Manny cracked.

"Manny, shut up," Emma said, blushing and giggling.

"I didn't need to hear that," Jay commented.

"Babe, can you do me a favor and get my earrings from the bedroom?" Manny asked.

"Sure."

Jay headed to his bedroom and grabbed Manny's earrings off of the nightstand. Suddenly, he received a call. He groaned when he recognized the number.

"What the hell does she want?" Jay wondered.

He answered the phone."Hello? What do you want, Jill? Okay. Fine. I'll be right there."

Jay hung up the phone and glumly walked back into the living where Manny and Emma waited.

"Here you go, babe," Jay said, handing Manny her earrings.

"Thanks."

"Babe, you and Emma have to go ahead without me," Jay told her."My boss called…its work-related."

"I thought you had today off?" Manny questioned.

"I do but he has to talk to me," Jay lied.

Manny glared at him for a second as she put on her earrings.

"Babe, are you mad?" Jay asked.

"No," Manny lied.

"Just hang out with Emma," Jay said."I mean…Sean's not here. I'm sure she doesn't want to be the third wheel. You know?"

"I didn't say that," Emma insisted, with a shrug.

"Okay, just go," Manny told him, annoyed."If it's that important…go."

"Aw baby," Jay spoke with a puppy-dog face.

He kissed her and told her he'd see her later. Manny didn't even say goodbye when he headed out.

"I have a feeling he's lying to me," Manny stated, angrily.

Emma just sighed. She honestly didn't know what to say, though Manny wasn't really looking for a response.

"Anyway, let's call Liberty and see what she's up to," Manny suggested.

"Cool," Emma nodded.

Manny dialed Liberty's cell number and asked her if she can join them at the Dot. Liberty said yes. Twenty minutes later, Emma, Liberty and Manny were sitting at a table at the Dot waiting for their food.

"So Liberty, what are you all smiley about?" Emma asked.

Liberty shrugged and smiled even wider.

"Toby tapped that ass, didn't he?" Manny asked, bluntly.

"I will not speak a word," Liberty chuckled, shyly."Like they say in the USA, 'I plead the fifth'."

"Lately, Manny's been very interested in everyone else's sex life," Emma stated.

"Well, I can always tell when a girl just had some dick in her," Manny proudly insisted."We all get this glow."

"Provided that the dick is good dick," Liberty added.

"Wow, Liberty Van Zandt said the word 'dick'," Emma gasped."Record the date, time and location."

"We're basically grown women, Emma," Liberty shrugged.

"That's right," Manny agreed.

"Last night was the first time Tony and I made love to each other," Liberty reported."Actually, it was his first time…_period_."

Manny and Emma were not surprised.

"It sort of just happened," Liberty continued."It wasn't planned."

"Was it enjoyable for you?" Emma asked.

"Very," Liberty admitted.

"Wow, go Toby," Manny said."If you enjoyed it despite the fact that he was a virgin, he's going to be outstanding in the bedroom when he gets more experience."

"True," Emma agreed.

"Last night couldn't have been more perfect," Liberty stated."The way Toby just took control was so amazing. He was a virgin yet he approached it with such a masculine confidence. And at the same time, he was just so gentle and passionate. It was so nice. Toby is no nerd in bed. That's for sure. It was a beautiful experience."

"Aaaaaww," Emma and Manny said in unison.

The girls continued to chat. Eventually, their meals were served and they ate. After they finished eating, they paid for the meal, left a tip and exited the building. They talked as they walked down the sidewalk.

"That was a good meal," Manny said.

"Totally," Liberty agreed.

"What do you guys want to do next?" Emma asked.

Before anyone can answer, they heard soft snickering behind them. The three girls turned around and saw three other girls standing a few feet away with sly grins on their faces. Two of them were blonde and one of them was brunette. They instantly recognized the brunette; her named was Amy Peters-Hoffman. She was an ex-girlfriend of Sean's. She was also the girl who stabbed her best friend Alex Nunez in the back by having sex with Jay while the two were dating. Amy was a self-proclaimed bad girl and known by many to be a conniving slut. Now, she is six months pregnant. Amy was accompanied by her two friends, Connie and Kacie.

"Wow, long time no see," Amy stated.

"Hi Amy," Manny, Emma and Liberty responded without enthusiasm.

"So, how's college?" Amy asked.

"It's going well," Emma replied.

"Yeah," Manny agreed.

"Can't complain," Liberty added.

"These are my friends Connie and Kacie," Amy introduced them.

Emma, Manny and Liberty politely said hello though Connie and Kacie acted too stuck up to speak.

"Manny, that's a nice ring," Amy commented.

"Thank you," Manny smiled."It's a gift from Jay."

"Since when were you dating Jay?" Amy asked, confused.

"For a while," Manny told her."We're engaged."

Amy felt a stab of jealousy in her heart. Everyone noticed the envious look on her face but they tried not to pay it any attention.

"And let me guess, Emma, you're engaged to Sean," Amy said, resentfully.

"No," Emma said."Sean and I are just…..well it's sorta complicated."

Amy shot her a devilish look, so the girls instantly decided to change the subject.

"So Amy, I see that you're having a baby," Manny pointed out."Congrats."

"Thanks," Amy said.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Emma asked.

"A boy," Amy replied."But don't worry; it isn't Sean or Jay's baby."

Emma and Manny were instantly offended and perplexed at Amy's sly remark.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Manny demanded.

"Relax," Amy told her."If you're worried that I'm still screwing your man, think again."

"So, why would you make a comment like that?" Emma asked.

"Because we all know that Sean and Jay are a couple of manwhores, especially Jay," Amy stated, bluntly.

Connie and Kacie laughed wickedly. Liberty could see that her friends were getting very angry, so she made an attempt to steer them away from a potential fight.

"Emma and Manny, let's just go," Liberty said."She's a waste of time."

"I agree," Emma nodded."Come on."

"Emma, who do the hell do you think you are?" Amy demanded."You're a whore too! You were blowing Jay while he was screwing around with every girl in the ravine, including me. Don't act so holier than thou now!"

"Fuck you!" Emma shrieked, enraged.

"And Manny, everyone knows you're a slut," Amy continued."Jay always had a thing for chicks like you."

"Amy, I swear if you weren't pregnant, I'd kick your fat ass up and down this block!" Manny snarled."_YOU_ are the slut. Don't get it confused. And for the record, the Jay that used to deal with your skanky ass is gone. He's a new and better person and he's going to be my husband. You're just jealous."

"You think your man is so perfect?" Amy exclaimed."Think again! I saw him with some blonde haired, blue eyed skank in his car about an hour ago."

Manny instantly grew suspicious. She had a feeling that Jay was up to something when he decided not to join them at the Dot earlier. However, she was not about to give Amy the satisfaction of thinking she believed her.

"Like I said, Amy, you're just jealous," Manny snapped."You're mad because Jay played you out like the cheap, miserable hoe that you are. Bitch, do yourself a favor and back the hell off. Worry about your unborn child. Don't worry about me or my man. Got it?"

"Kick her ass!" Amy commanded in a rage.

Without a second thought, Connie and Kacie dove at Manny, slapping at her and grabbing her hair. Manny desperately tried to fight back as best as she could against two girls. Emma and Liberty were furious; this was not a fair fight. So, Emma promptly jumped in and grabbed the first girl within her reach. Emma put Kacie in a headlock, wrestled her to the ground and began to slap and punch her mercilessly.

Now that Manny only had one girl to take on, she regained momentum. She ducked a slap from Connie and then roughly tackled her to the ground like a football player. Emma and Manny were on top of their opponents, beating them up. Liberty proudly watched as her friends gave these mean girls what they deserved. Connie and Kacie screamed and tried to fight back but they couldn't match Manny and Emma's fury. They were being pummeled as if there was no tomorrow.

Amy was angry that her friends' attack backfired on them so badly. She contemplated jumping in to help but she didn't want to put her unborn baby at risk. Plus, she figured that Liberty would get in and she'd only wind up in the same predicament as Connie and Kacie. Suddenly, a crowd of nosy teens and young adults hurried over to witness the double catfight.

"Okay guys! That's enough!" Liberty finally shouted.

Emma obediently let go of Kacie and stood up. However, Manny continued to beat the hell out of Connie, punching her and banging her head against the pavement. Emma and Liberty quickly grabbed Manny and pulled her away. Manny was extremely furious as she struggled to break free.

"Manny, calm down!" Emma exclaimed.

"Let's go before the police get involved," Liberty told her.

They walked away, trying their best to calm Manny down. Connie and Kacie's faces were badly scratched, plus Connie had a black eye. They walked off with Amy in the opposite direction, defeated and humiliated.

"It's not over, bitches!" Amy screamed from afar.

Manny was so heated, she could barely control herself. Her face was red and her ears were hot. She did not expect to get into a physical fight over some petty nonsense. Silently, she wondered if what Amy said about about Jay was true. Was she making up a lie out of jealousy or did she really see Jay in his car with another female?


	4. They Don't Know

{Heard about my past; the things I used to do. The games I used to play; the girls that didn't last. I know what's on your mind. You think I'm doing wrong. Can I say what is real? You are the only one. When I'm not around, do you think of me? Or what the jealous ones are claiming me to be? You should know by now that it's gonna take a lot of trust from you for us to make it through.} (Jay's thoughts for Manny)

*The title of this chapter is named after a song by Jon B*

Jay made a right at a green light and continued driving. Sitting in the passenger's side of his car was, indeed, a blond-haired blue-eyed chick. In the back seat of the car, was a two-year old little boy. He was running a very high fever. On his way driving to the hospital, Jay noticed a very pregnant Amy crossing the street with two of her girlfriends. He hoped like hell that she didn't catch sight of him.

The blonde in the passenger's scowled angrily at Jay.

"Who the hell was that pregnant chick you were staring just a few minutes ago?" she demanded.

"Her name was Amy; she was someone I screwed around with long before I knew you," Jay reluctantly answered.

"Are you still screwing her?" the blonde asked.

"No," Jay snapped.

"You better be telling the truth if you know what's good for you both," the blonde stated, threateningly.

"Look Jill," Jay responded, aggravated."Amy and I moved on from each other a long time ago; now she's pregnant by whom I don't know. Nor do I give a shit. But please don't let your psycho tendencies kick in and try to hurt her or anything. Amy is my past and so are you. My present and future is the girl I'm engaged to now."

"I still don't even know who she is," Jill commented.

"And you never will," Jay told her, candidly."I'm not putting her in any danger. You are crazy and I will never have her anywhere near you."

"You're pissing me off," Jill snarled."You haven't seen crazy yet."

"Look Jill, let's just drop this," Jay said."Our son is sick and the most important thing on your mind should be getting him to the doctor."

Jill rolled her eyes at him, looked away and folded her arms across her chest. Jay glanced back at the sick toddler in the back seat.

"Don't worry, little guy," Jay said."Daddy's getting you to the doctor right now."

Jay has a deep, dark secret. He is the father of a two year boy. He met Jill at a house party three summers ago. They got drunk and had sex the same night. They dated throughout that summer and moved in together when they found out that Jill was pregnant. Ashton Hogart was born in spring of 2006. Jay had a reputation to uphold; so he cheated on Jill with various girls and kept his fatherhood a secret from the world. Jill was scorned by Jay's cheating so she began to act out in a very psychotic fashion. She became physically abusive towards Jay and she sought out to cause physical harm to any female that came near him.

The incident that made Jay decide to leave her for good was when he caught her pouring bleach into his food in attempt to poison him. From that moment forth, Jay wanted nothing to do with her unless it involved their son. For the protection of those around him, he kept Jill and his son a closely guarded secret. Even when he fell in love with Manny and got engaged to her, he still kept it a secret.

When Jay finally arrived at the emergency room; he and Jill waited in the waiting area while the doctors took care of their son. Hours later they let Ashton go and told his parents to let him get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. After that, Jay dropped Jill and Ashton off at home and then he drove off.

Moments later, he arrived at his apartment. He opened the door, stepped inside and saw Manny, Emma and Liberty sitting in the living room.

"Hey girls," Jay greeted them.

"Hey," Emma and Liberty responded.

Manny didn't say a word; she just stared at Jay with a cold glare in her eyes.

"Babe, are you still mad?" Jay asked.

"We need to talk _now_," Manny told him, sharply.

"Okay."

"Emma and Liberty, thanks for hanging with me today but I have to talk to Jay…..alone," Manny stated.

"Sure, we understand," Emma nodded.

"Give us a call later," Liberty told her.

"I will," Manny said.

Manny said bye to her friends as they left the apartment. After they were gone, she turned to Jay with that cold glare again.

"Where the hell have you been all day?" Manny demanded.

"I told you I had to talk to my boss," Jay lied.

"Are you lying to me?" Manny asked.

"No, baby," Jay insisted.

"Do you care to know how _my _day went?" Manny asked, sharply.

"Well, I'm assuming you had a good time at the Dot with Emma and Liberty," Jay stated.

"I did but after that I ran into one of your ex-whores," Manny told him.

"What?" Jay responded, puzzled.

"Amy!" Manny exclaimed."I ran into Amy and two of her friends."

"Well, what happened, babe?" Jay asked.

Manny told him the whole story about Amy's sly remarks about Jay and Sean regarding her pregnancy and the physical fight with her two friends.

"Wow, babe, I'm glad you and Emma kicked their asses," Jay stated.

"Jay, I'm going to ask you one thing and you better not lie," Manny told him, seriously.

"Okay."

"Is something still going on between you and Amy?" Manny asked.

"Hell no!" Jay exclaimed."Babe, don't tell me you're getting all suspicious because of her stupid remark."

"She just seemed so jealous and pissed off," Manny insisted."I don't know what to believe."

"Amy is a sad, jealous little bitch," Jay stated."Don't let her get to you. Ever since I cut her ass out of my life after Alex dumped me she's probably still holding a grudge. I haven't touched that girl in _years_!"

"Okay fine, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt on _that _part," Manny said."Now answer me _this_, Amy told me that she saw you driving with another woman in your car; is that true?"

Jay froze at that moment. He remembered seeing Amy while he was driving with Jill earlier today but he was hoping she didn't see him.

"You're taking too long to respond," Manny snarled."Does that mean it's true?"

"No," Jay lied, with a sigh.

"I don't believe you," Manny insisted.

"Babe, I'm telling you the truth," Jay told her."I didn't have another woman in my car."

"Tell me the _real _truth," Manny said."I'd respect you a lot better if you just be a man and admit that you lied to me about going to see your boss so you can go out there and fuck some other woman."

Jay was at lost for words. Yes, it was true that he was not cheating on Manny but it was a lie that he didn't have another woman in his car. He didn't know what to say. The confusion was giving him a headache.

"Wow, dead silence _again_," Manny stated, angrily."Jay, I swear if you don't tell me the truth right now, I'm walking out that door and I'm never speaking to you again."

"So, walk out the fucking door then!" Jay suddenly exploded."I don't give a shit!"

Manny was appalled at his tone.

"What the fuck do you expect me to say?" Jay continued to yell."You want me to admit to something I didn't do just because you don't fucking trust me? Well, I'm not going to do that. So just get the fuck out!"

"Fuck you, Jay!" Manny shouted, with tears in her eyes.

She promptly headed for the door and left out. Jay cursed himself for losing his temper like that. The sound of Manny's feet going down the hallway stairs brought him back to life. Jay quickly ran after her. He caught up to her when she was halfway down the second flight of stairs and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Get off of me!" Manny shrieked.

"Babe, I'm sorry!" Jay exclaimed.

"You should be sorry!" Manny yelled."How dare you talk to me that way!"

"I know, baby, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that," Jay stated, apologetically."I'm really sorry."

Manny exhaled angrily and placed her hands over her hips.

"Please, come back inside," Jay begged."I'm sorry."

Manny stood still for a few seconds then gave in. She followed Jay back into the apartment and took a seat on the sofa.

"Listen babe," Jay said, softly."I actually do understand why it's hard to trust me. You know about my past and the kind of guy I used to be. I broke a lot of hearts and did a lot of cruel shit before we got together. But I will NEVER hurt you, Manny. You're the only girl I've ever really loved. Cheating on you or hurting you would be like hurting myself. You're the best thing that ever happened to me and I don't know what I'd ever do if I was to lose you."

"Jay, I really want to believe you but….." Manny couldn't finish her sentence.

She just broke down and cried. Jay put his arm around her and gently pulled her close.

"Babe, don't cry," Jay said, affectionately.

Manny wiped away her tears and sniffled.

"Nothing is worth losing you," Jay continued."I will never find another girl like you and I'd be a dumb-ass not to realize that. But there's something you need to realize too. You have to realize that I love you more than _anything_. You're going to be my wife soon. You also have to realize that in order for us to make that possible…I need you to trust me."

Manny didn't respond; she just stared at him with a mixture of love and pain in her eyes.

"Can you please just trust me?" Jay asked.

Manny sighed and then nodded.

"That's all I need from you, baby," Jay told her, softly.

He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Manny laid her head on Jay's chest and exhaled slowly as he firmly wrapped his arms around her. Jay felt horrible that he had to lie to Manny about the woman in his car but at least it was true that he wasn't cheating on her. In that specific aspect, his conscience was clear.


	5. Living In The Moment

**Author's note: I greatly appreciate everyone who enjoys my writing, especially my loyal fan xxflychicaxx. However, if you're reading, please review. When you review it inspires me to continue. Thank you and God bless.**

{I've got it all when I'm holding you this way. I'll live to love you; I'd die to keep you  
safe inside these arms that need you. I'll be loving you with the very last breath I take} (Sean's thoughts for Emma)

*The title of this chapter is named after a song by Ty Herndon*

The next day, while Jay was at work, Manny borrowed his car to drive to Wasaga to pick Sean up from his parents' house. Emma was sitting in the passenger's seat as Manny drove. Finally, they pulled up in front of the house and honked the horn. A few seconds later, Sean stepped outside with his parents. Manny and Emma got out of the car and approached them.

"Mom and Dad, I'd like you to meet Emma and Manny," Sean introduced them.

Emma and Manny exchanged friendly greetings and handshakes with Sean's parents.

"I've heard so much about you girls, especially you Emma," Mrs. Cameron told them.

"Really?" Emma said, blushing.

"Yeah, Sean talks about you a lot," Mr. Cameron said.

Emma smiled warmly at Sean; she was beyond flattered.

"So, thanks for visiting us, son," Mr. Cameron said.

"Sure, Dad," Sean said.

"We love you, sweetheart," Mrs. Cameron told him.

"I love you both too," Sean responded.

He gave each of his parents a hug.

"Emma and Manny, it was a pleasure meeting you both," Mrs. Cameron said.

"Likewise," Manny said.

"Take care; have a good day," Emma told them.

"You do the same," Mr. Cameron said.

After waving goodbye, Sean, Emma and Manny headed back to the car and drove off. During the drive, Emma and Manny informed Sean about their run in with Amy and the subsequent catfight with her friends, Connie and Kacie.

"Fuck Amy," Sean muttered."She's a nobody."

"I know," Emma nodded.

"Don't let what she said get to your head," Sean stated.

"Not at all," Emma insisted.

"Well, I'm specifically talking to Manny," Sean said.

"It did sort of get to my head at first," Manny admitted."But Jay and I had a long talk and he assured me that nothing's going on between him and Amy or any other girl for that matter."

"Yeah, he really cares about you, Manny," Sean said."He's crazy about you. I never thought I'd see the day that Jay Hogart would be all head over heels for any girl. So, what he feels about you _must _be real. You have to trust him."

"I know," Manny sighed.

They all continued to chat into they arrived back in Toronto. Later on that night, Sean, Emma, Manny and Jay were all hanging out at Jay's apartment again. They watched movies, talked and ate pizza until about three o clock in the morning. Jay and Manny headed to Jay's bedroom while Sean and Emma headed to the guest room.

While in bed, Jay held Manny in his arms as they talked. Jay's eyes were shut but Manny's were open.

"Jay? Are you awake?" Manny asked.

"Yeah."

"I just want you to know that I really, really love you," Manny said, softly.

Jay smiled, kissed Manny's forehead and said."I love you too, babe."

"I'm sorry that I didn't trust you," Manny told him.

"Don't worry about it, babe," Jay said.

"But I feel awful," Manny insisted."You've been so amazing to me ever since we got together; it would be so stupid of me to start having doubts about you. Your past is over and I can't hold that against you. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," Jay told her.

"Yes, I do," Manny continued."You said you don't know what you'd do if you were to ever lose me. Well baby, I feel the same way. I don't want you to get sick of me and break up with me because of my trust issues. I don't want to ruin such a good thing we have and—"

Jay put a finger to Manny's lips and said."Will you hush? Don't worry about it. Everything is cool. We're going to be fine. We'll be together forever. Okay?"

"Okay."

Jay kissed her lips.

"Let's go to sleep," Jay said.

They cuddled closer together and drifted off to sleep.

Over in the next bedroom, Sean and Emma were making love. They were so lost in ecstasy that they ignored the sound of Emma's cell phone; she had a text message. Finally, when they finished making love, Emma reached for her cell phone.

"Who was texting you at this time?" Sean asked."It's your boyfriend, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded.

Sean rolled his eyes. Kelly had texted her: _Miss u babe. Luv u. _

Emma texted back: _Luv u 2._

After that she put her phone down and then rested her head on Sean's bare chest.

"Are you upset?" Emma asked.

"No, I'm just a little jealous," Sean admitted.

"Sean, I care about Kelly but he will never compare to you and how I feel about you," Emma told him.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," Sean sighed."Pretty soon, I'll be in Iraq."

"Sean, can we please not talk about that?" Emma asked, sadly.

"I just want you to get used to the fact," Sean stated.

"I know but you said we were just going to enjoy this time together and live in the moment before we get back to our lives," Emma reminded him.

"You're right; I'm sorry," Sean nodded.

They kissed each other and then closed their eyes for sleep.

**I know this chapter wasn't too exciting lol. But review anyway. However, next chapter will be intense. Guaranteed. The sooner you review, the sooner I'll update.**


	6. One Step Closer

*The title of this chapter is named after a song by Linkin Park*

The first half of the summer seemed to have gone by quickly given that everyone was having fun for the most part. It was towards the end of July; by then, it was very hot outside. Sean decided to pay a visit to a woman who lived close to where he used to live. Her name was Miss Paula; she had a passion for cooking. At times, when Sean and his older brother Tracker had little to eat in their house, Miss Paula happily had them over for dinner and sent them home with plenty of leftovers.

Of course, Miss Paula was very happy that Sean came to visit her. Not only did she offer to cook for Sean, she also told that he was more than welcome to invite some friends over. Of course, Sean invited Emma, Manny, Jay, Liberty and Toby. Sean was already at Miss Paula's house as he waited for everyone else to arrive.

Emma and Manny were riding their bikes through the shabby, low-income area where Sean used to live when he attended Degrassi. The area was full of alcoholics, welfare mothers, drug addicts and all types of people who lacked any goals in life. Emma just hung up with Sean telling him that they were almost there.

"I'm hungry; I wonder what this lady is going to cook," Manny commented.

"We'll find out when we get there," Emma responded.

"Jay should be getting off of work by now," Manny said.

"Oh yeah?" Emma said."What time did he get off?"

"At 6:30PM," Manny replied."It's almost seven now. He wanted to shower and change first."

Sitting on a porch of a slightly dilapidated house was Amy, Connie, Kacie and Amy's boyfriend, Pete. They were all sharing a marijuana joint and conversing. Pete was a thirty-something year old low-life with a criminal record. He was at least ten years Amy's senior and the father of her unborn child. He was 5'8 and lanky with a thick beard and tattoos covering both his arms, from shoulders to wrists.

"Wow, look over there," Kacie pointed out.

They all turned their heads and saw Emma and Manny riding down the sidewalk on their bikes.

"Those are the bitches I told you about, babe," Amy said.

"Alright, let's settle this shit," Pete declared."I've been waiting two months for this."

Emma and Manny came to a screeching halt on their bicycles when they saw Pete, Amy, Connie and Kacie step off of the porch and block their path on the sidewalk. Sensing trouble, Manny and Emma got off of their bikes and set them down. Pete glared coldly at them with his green eyes.

"My girlfriend told me that you two little bitches beat her up two months ago," Pete barked.

"What?" Manny wailed.

"She's pregnant! Were you trying to kill my kid or something?" Pete yelled, angrily.

"That is not true!" Emma exclaimed."We did not touch Amy!"

"Babe, she's lying," Amy stated."Like I told you, they approached me and accused me of sleeping with their boyfriends, Sean and Jay. When I told them that it wasn't true, they didn't believe me so they both attacked me. When Connie and Kacie tried to help, their friend Liberty jumped in and they got hurt along with me."

"You're a fucking liar!" Manny shrieked, angrily.

"I advise you to watch your fucking mouth, you little bitch!" Pete shouted."You're in enough trouble as it is."

"Listen, we're telling you the truth," Emma told him."We did not touch Amy and our friend Liberty didn't even fight at all. It was just Manny and I against Connie and Kacie. And they got their asses kicked fair and square."

"You expect me to take your word over my girlfriend's?" Pete shook his head.

"So, what are you going to do?" Emma asked."Hit us?"

"It doesn't have to go that far," Pete insisted."That can definitely be avoided if you both get on your knees and beg Amy for forgiveness."

Amy, Connie and Kacie laughed in amusement.

"You must be out of your fucking mind!" Emma exclaimed."There is no way we're going to do that!"

"What?" Pete responded angrily.

"You heard her," Manny snapped."There is no fucking way we're going to humiliate ourselves like that. Being that Amy is pregnant, we will not lay a finger on her. However, if Connie and Kacie want a rematch, we'd be more than happy to give them one. But we are not going to get on our knees and apologize. We didn't start this problem, Amy did."

"Bitch, I'm not giving you a fucking choice!" Pete growled."You better do what I said or there will be hell to pay out here!"

"Well, name your price, asshole," Manny retorted, sarcastically.

Pete took a step towards Manny and glared at her. Although Manny was afraid, she figured that showing any signs of fear would only make things worse. So instead, she looked Pete straight in the eyes and returned his icy glare.

"You're really trying my fucking patience," Pete snarled."I'm going to give you til the count of five to do what I said. I am not joking."

Before Pete even had a chance to start counting, Connie and Kacie quickly grabbed each of Manny's arms and held her tightly. Emma rushed forward to help Manny but Pete violently shoved her aside nearly causing her to fall.

As Connie and Kacie maintained their grip on Manny's arms, Pete stepped up to her.

"You're time is up, you little cunt," Pete told her, harshly."Are you going to do it?"

"FUCK…..YOU," Manny snarled, slowly.

Angered, Pete raised a hand and slapped Manny hard across the face, causing the side of her lip to bleed. Manny quickly retaliated by swinging her foot upwards and kicking him in his testicles. Pete doubled over, groaning in pain.

"You bitch!" he screamed, holding his aching crotch.

Connie and Kacie combined their strength and threw Manny on the ground. From there, they proceeded to kick and stomp her. Once again, Emma tried to help but Pete amazingly recovered quickly and grabbed her by her hair.

"Let me go!" Emma screeched.

Emma bit hard onto Pete's arm. Pete released her hair and then backhanded her viciously across the face. Emma instantly fell to the ground. Suddenly, Pete began to slap her around from both directions.

Every time Emma tried to get up, she was knocked back down. Connie and Kacie continued their attack on Manny. Amy watched the altercation in amusement; an evil smile spread across her face. The neighbors moved in closer to get a good view of the action, though no one bothered to stop it.

Driving down the street in an old-fashioned car was Toby, with Liberty in the passenger's seat. He was driving his grandmother's car. They too, were invited to Miss Paula's for dinner. They noticed a crowd of people in the distance.

"What the hell is going on?" Toby wondered.

"Probably some stupid fight," Liberty said.

As Toby drove up closer, he and Liberty were appalled at what they saw. So, he immediately stopped the car.

"Oh shit!" Toby exclaimed."It's Emma and Manny!"

Toby and Liberty both got out of the car and started running toward the scene. Liberty reached it faster. Without warning, she leapt onto Pete's back and started pounding on his back and head with her fist. Pete was caught by surprise as Liberty began to punch and tear into his face with her nails. Emma dizzily rose up to her feet.

When Pete recovered from Liberty's surprise attack, he touched his left cheek and felt blood leaking from a scratch mark Liberty gave him. Furious, he fiercely struck Liberty in the face with the palm of his hand. Liberty flew backwards and fell down, knocking over a steel trash can.

"Liberty!" Emma cried.

In a rage, Toby jumped onto Pete's back, wrapped his arms around his head and neck and wrestled him down to the ground. While Pete was on his back, Toby started throwing punches to his jaw.

"You fucking bastard!" Toby screamed, as he punched him."I'll kill you!"

While Toby pummeled away at Pete, Emma hurried over to assist Manny. Within seconds, the tables were turned. Together, Emma and Manny, once again, beat the holy hell out of Connie and Kacie. This time it was a lot worse. Emma and Manny were so infuriated that they were not satisfied until they saw blood. They beat Connie and Kacie senseless and didn't stop until they begged for mercy.

Toby clearly had the upper hand when he was punching away at Pete. When he felt he did enough, he got up and walked over to Liberty. She was sitting on her backside, holding the side of her head. Her glasses lay broken on the ground.

"Are you okay, Liberty?" Toby asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I think," Liberty moaned, in pain.

"Toby, look out!" Manny cried.

Toby quickly turned around. Pete was on his feet, even angrier. He held his fist up in a boxer's stance. Toby put his fists up too and prepared to continue the fight. However, Pete could look at Toby and tell that he was not an experience fighter. The only reason Toby was able to beat him up just a moment ago was because he caught him by surprise.

Pete laughed mockingly at Toby and then threw punches at him. The left punch caught Toby in the gut and the right one landed upside his head, knocking him out instantly. Liberty crawled over towards Toby on the ground. Pete stepped forward and kicked Liberty brutally in the ribs, knocking her flat down. Emma and Manny charged at Pete but he was too quick. First, he knocked Manny out with a punch and then he knocked Emma down with another punch.

Pete glanced at both girls, hurt on the ground. However, he felt he wasn't through with them yet. Emma's cell phone began to ring from inside her purse but there was no way she could reach it. Pete proceeded to kick and stomp everyone laid out around him; Emma, Manny, Liberty and Toby.

Back at Miss Paula's house, Sean sat at the kitchen table, worried because Emma wasn't answering her phone. Miss Paula was preparing dinner in the kitchen while softly humming a church song. She was a very kind black woman in her upper sixties, originally from North Carolina. She had a robust figure and short gray hair. She was once married but her husband died ten years ago. She was barren and thus never blessed with children. As a result, she took pride in helping other people, particularly cooking delicious soul food meals for them. Miss Paula noticed the worried look on Sean's face.

"Is everything okay, baby?" Miss Paula asked, as she chopped up some tomatoes.

"Last time I spoke to Emma, she said they were only a couple of minutes away," Sean replied."Maybe they got lost or something."

"There ain't no rush," Miss Paula insisted."Dinner ain't gon' be done no time soon."

"Yeah but I wonder if they're okay," Sean said.

"Well, maybe they close by; why don't you go out and check?" Miss Paula suggested.

"Yeah, I'll be right back, Miss Paula," Sean told her.

"Okay, baby."

Sean exited the house and started walking down the block. He heard a lot of commotion in the distance. So he picked up his pace and walked faster. What he saw made his blood boil with fury. His friends where all laid out and hurt. He watched as Emma desperately tried to get away but Pete repeatedly knocked her down with a smack or a kick. Charging like a bull, Sean bolted towards Pete and tackled him down with brute force.

Positioning himself on top of Pete, Sean gripped the front of his shirt with his left hand and repeatedly smashed his right fist into his face. Pete began to bleed from his nose and mouth as Sean punched him viciously in the face. He wanted to kill this man. Of course, Sean was furious that this guy hurt his friends. But to see someone hurt Emma…the girl of his dreams…the love of his life…the one who he loved more than life itself…was just too much for him to bear.

Amy, Connie and Kacie stood in shock. They were certainly not expecting Sean to just come out of nowhere. They dreadfully wanted to help Pete. However, the brutal beating that Sean was serving him made them think otherwise. Instead, Amy turned around and headed back inside the house.

After they recovered, Toby, Manny and Liberty grabbed Sean and pulled him away from Pete. They cared about him too much to see him wind up in prison for murder. It took a while to calm Sean down. When he finally did, he walked over towards Emma and examined her. She was on her feet but she was badly bruised and bleeding from both nostrils. Sean felt like crying right then and there.

"Oh God, Emma…." Sean gasped, near tears.

Emma broke down and cried. Sean quickly clutched her tightly and hugged her close.

"It's okay; I'm here now," Sean soothed her.

Emma continued to cry as Sean held her tighter.

"Sean, behind you!" Toby yelled.

Everyone quickly turned around and saw Pete holding a knife that Amy handed to him from the house.

"Get behind me!" Sean ordered.

His friends stood close behind him and backed up slowly. They didn't want to turn their backs for fear that one of them would get stabbed in the back. Pete glared angrily at Sean as blood poured from his nose and mouth. His entire face was battered and swollen and his left eye was black and swollen shut. Suddenly, he took a wild swing with his blade.

Sean jumped back, the knife caught him but it could have been worse. Sean winced in pain. He had a small bloody cut on his shoulder. From there Pete continued to strike at him with more slicing and stabbing attempts but Sean successfully dodged all of them. There was relief when they heard sirens. Sean picked up a brick and waited for an opportunity to fend Pete off with it. However, he did not back down. Suddenly, everyone stood still when the police showed up. They quickly hopped from their vehicles holding their guns.

"You two! Drop your weapons and get on the ground now!" they shouted at Pete and Sean.

They immediately dropped their weapons and complied with the cops' orders. Emma, Manny, Toby and Liberty were horrified that Sean was getting handcuffed along with Pete. Suddenly, Miss Paula came jogging frantically down the block. She held a hand her chest as she saw Sean being put in handcuffs.

"Oh my Lord sweet Jesus!" Miss Paula cried out."What did he do? Officers, what did he do?"

"This is police business, Ma'am," one of cops replied.

"He didn't do anything!" Emma protested."He was only here to help!"

The police ignored Emma and proceeded to take Pete and Sean to the car. The other police gathered Emma, Manny, Toby, Liberty, Amy, Connie and Kacie into the vehicles; although the ones who were actually being arrested were Sean and Pete.


End file.
